Lyn tells the story of her 28yrs in RP and that RP is a way of thinking and being focused on authentic connections and relationships. In her 9yrs as principal of Rozelle Primary School it became a lighthouse school with 25 local schools coming to visit and learn. Lyn explains how she focused on relationships and quality teaching and training. She valued working with Terry O’Connell to host training and learning socratic conversations. The change in culture was dramatic. Staff, students and parents were trained in restorative practices and these formed the basis of the ways of being. The learning and way of being starts within.
Lyn acknowledges Mark Vander Vennen for the definition of restorative practice she used “Restorative Practice is a way of thinking and being, and it is focussed on creating safe spaces for real conversations that deepen relationships and create stronger and more connected communities."
Lyn also included in her way of being approach, the Help Increase Peace (HIPP) training to embody Alternatives to Violence. Manual at https://afsc.org/archive/help-increase-peace-program-manual. Alternatives to Violence Project Australia https://avpaustralia.org
When she saw her staff changing this was her greatest reward. She was always modelling, role playing and being vulnerable in front of staff for them to feel safe, supported and be open to taking risks and bringing their authentic creative selves to their work and community.
Lyn explained her learning insights from her 2006 Churchill Fellowship. Her recommendations and references are at https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/lynette-doppler-nsw-2006/
Engagement, attendance and high participation all increased with RP and the focus on a relational culture. Kids were not laughing at others and strong connections meant no bullying. Lyn explained that "Blame is just the discharge of negative emotions" and "many people languish in the compass of shame” so she recommends "stop building programs and start building people”. She valued meeting Belinda Hopkins in the UK
From Lyn’s Churchill Fellowship report (link above)
Challenges and Recommendations
My learnings and conclusions from international investigations confirm a culture change which occurs in schools where Restorative Practices are embedded as a way of being and learning. This change affects the various levels in a school and each level is connected and adds value to the other within a cycle of continuous school improvement leading to enhanced student achievement.
Culture:
Seek culture change at a whole school level where the focus is on building healthy relationships via a common language and framework and within a climate of trust and empowerment.
Leadership:
Provide structured opportunities via the principal/leadership team for staff dialogue including reflection, rigorous discussion and respectful challenge that may clarify beliefs and rationale for teaching and student learning and in turn influence practice.
Teacher Practice:
Allow for individual teachers to focus on the big picture and be explicit in rationale and teaching practice rather than work intuitively and be susceptible to feeling overwhelmed by the myriad of expectations, programs and external accountability constraints.
Curriculum & Student Learning:
Embed Restorative Practices within the Quality Teaching framework (NSW) as they provide a perfect alignment to support student-centred learning, constructivist pedagogy and inquiry-based participatory approaches to learning via an explicit framework.
Capacity:
Use the restorative framework as the catalyst for sustainable student achievement by focusing on:
- quality teaching and learning practice (as opposed to a narrow test focus) combined with quality professional development and within a climate of empowerment, trust and support.
- building healthy, respectful relationships (as opposed to building more programs).
Create specialist positions at school and district level to oversee the training and ongoing support for schools in the restorative philosophy.
Develop clusters of schools or entire districts willing to embark upon the Restorative Practices journey so that a collegial support network is formed. These networks are invaluable during times of stress when it’s natural to revert to learned behaviours especially in the early days of the implementation dip and cycle.
Provide accreditation for teachers completing modules in this philosophy at conferences and professional development sessions.
Provide a manual which complements the initial Restorative Practices training and acts as a scaffold for teachers along with professional dialogue to enable them to grow their practice.”
Lyn Doppler, former pioneering principal of an award-winning school implemented restorative practice as a way to build relationships and enhance quality teaching. She has documented the school’s journey on how the whole community, staff, students and parents, learnt to use restorative language and practice to relate, think and learn together. Lyn received a Churchill Fellowship in 2006 to study the effect of Restorative Practice on enhanced student achievement in schools around the world. The restorative philosophy in Rozelle PS has sustained for almost 20 years and with two successive principals after Lyn.
Lyn received the Australian College of Educators’ (ACE) Award for Outstanding Leadership 2010, ‘within NSW DET as Principal in leading change to improve the quality of teaching and learning for students and teachers in NSW public schools through leadership of Restorative Practice.’ She also received the Paul Harris Rotary Fellow in 2011 ’in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.’
In 2023 Lyn was nominated by former parents/staff and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal OAM for ‘services to Education and Community’.
Lyn has worked in the community and prisons facilitating AVP (Alternative to Violence Project) and implemented the students’ version HIP (Help Increase Peace) in schools during circle time. Lyn has also worked extensively with students with special needs and in particular with adolescents with mental health issues.
She worked as a consultant and trainer with Terry O’Connell at Real Justice Australia and has worked in schools in Australia, UK, Canada, USA, Singapore and Zimbabwe.